Media Relations

One successful job swap later

Broadening our horizons, getting to grips with different tasks in a team or department and showing #PIONIERGEIST is all possible with job rotation.

Broadening our horizons, getting to grips with different tasks in a team or department and showing #PIONIERGEIST is all possible with job rotation. Philipp Tüllmann, Head of the Digital Transformation Team of Grid and Infrastructure, was filled in for during his parental leave by colleague Maciek Pasniewski from Warsaw. Now it is time for them both to take stock.

Philipp Tüllmann wanted to go on parental leave for seven weeks. During this period, he needed someone to stand in for him. innogy uses the model of job rotation in these situations.

The advantage here is that the model gives employees the opportunity to get to grips with different tasks and functional areas in a team or a whole department and to broaden their own horizons. It also ensures that no work is left undone and everything remains regulated.

Substitution brings about professional and personal development

Last year, Joachim Schneider, Divisional Director of Technology and Operations, showed just how successful this can be within Grid and Infrastructure. Everyone benefited from the double job rotation that he initiated. Looking at the bigger picture provides us with new perspectives as well as different professional and human perspectives. This is precisely the agile continuous development that innogy encourages.

“These different perspectives are very helpful when it comes to maintaining intellectual and professional flexibility. I am convinced that the new set-up will open up a lot of new and diverse lines of thought, and allow people to benefit from the experience of others in their subject area,” says Hildegard Müller, COO of Grid and Infrastructure. “That is why I encourage and welcome this swap, especially if there is the opportunity to work together even more closely at the international level.”

Maciek Pasniewski (Coordination Manager East Network and Infrastructure) from Warsaw stood in for Tüllmann during his seven-week parental leave. Pasniewski is already familiar with some tasks and colleagues due to his current job. “Job rotation is a great way for colleagues to operate outside of their usual work environment and face new challenges. What’s more, I can rest assured that I will be well represented during my absence,” said Tüllmann prior to the swap.

Both colleagues take stock

“At first, seven weeks sounded like a long time, since I worked and lived four days a week in Essen. The team made me feel so welcome from day one that the time flew by,” says Pasniewski.

After a brief onboarding period during which all important information, upcoming meetings and responsibilities were handed over, Pasniewski was on his own. “As it stands, the Digital Transformation Team is made up of four colleagues. I already knew most of them prior to the swap, which certainly made getting started easier. Not only did I learn new things at a professional level, I was also able to build on my network within the department,” says Pasniewski.

When Polish working culture meets German working culture, the language barrier could be a potential issue. This was also not a problem, as colleagues are familiar with the English language thanks to various international projects. Colleagues helped Pasniewski sharpen his German language skills during lunch breaks.

Nevertheless, our colleague from Warsaw did come up against some challenges. “At times, all work had to be completed by just two people due to holidays and illness. This meant that the workload was high for us. We were faced with the challenge of devising solutions or making decisions as quickly as possible.”

Supervisors give their blessings

It is not just the two people directly involved in the job rotation that are more than happy with the temporary swap. “The job rotation was a very valuable experience for both me and the Digital Transformation Team. As everyone does, Maciek has his own style and has provided exciting new momentum for us. Aside from that, he has done a very good job and made a valuable contribution to the continuation of our work in the area of digitalisation. We are always open to another job rotation,” says Alexander Schaudig, Digital Lead G&I Pasniewski's boss during the job rotation, describing his experiences over the past few weeks. Philipp Tüllmann also sees the experience in a positive light: “Maciek and the team had everything under control during my absence. Many thanks to everyone involved.”

How did Pasniewski's team fare during his absence? “The absence of Maciek from his job was certainly a challenge for our small team. However, I believe that it is inevitable that our team members will continue to gain experience in all business areas. I am glad that Maciek had this opportunity and that he mastered this challenge so well,” says Holger Carl, Head of Coordination G&I East.